


Chasing Tales

by AshNine



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe, Betrayal, Chinese Mythology & Folklore, Drama, Gen, Hurt, Kemonomimi, Kokichi is a rat, Miu is a cat, Zodiac, but like only the tails and ears, nekomimi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-06-23 02:13:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15595989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshNine/pseuds/AshNine
Summary: A retelling of the Chinese Zodiac story.The Jade Emperor is inviting all of the animals in his realm to a party. Too bad Iruma will never know about it.





	Chasing Tales

  
[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/155860900@N05/43177124804/in/dateposted-public/)

_Believe it or not, there were 13 animals when the world started. These were the dog, monkey, horse, ox, dragon, rabbit, rooster, boar, tiger, snake, ram, rat, and finally, the cat. All the animals of the land got along in harmony, day in and day out basking in the sun together, or perhaps playing under the stars. The land was peaceful, all scuffles addressed by the Jade Emperor, who watched over his kingdom with an attentive eye and a kind heart._

_However, even in a peaceful world, the smallest of actions can have mountainous consequences. This is the story about how momentary betrayal and selfish desires can not only destroy friendships but shake history century after long century. Fear not, we will start or tale from the fateful beginning, when the Jade Emperor decided to host a gathering…_

_━━━━━━━━━━━━━━_

  


**_Rat_ **

As morning broke, the sun shone its soft rays through the window next to Ouma's bed, directly landing on his lidded eyes. Stirred from his rest, the little rat nestled further into his bed of hay, wanting those sweet, sweet extra seconds of rest. Oversleeping was never an option under the barn roof, and especially not when the sheep decided that every day was just another pure blessing bestowed upon them by the emperor.

“Nyehehe! Blessed is life my dear Emperor! Thank you for such another beautiful day!” Angie chimed from somewhere outside, probably around the shine on the property.

Ouma groaned, trying to hide his face under the sleeve of his coat, but it was pretty much useless. Once he was awake, he was awake. Soon, he heard the others in the barn stirring, the familiar clopping of the ox’s feet upon the wooden boards thumping gently above him. He knew it was only moments before-

“Alright everyone! Time to get up and get the day started!” Momota shouted, hanging his head over the edge of the loft, his long horns a wishbone silhouette against the morning light. How was he always so awake first thing in the morning? That should be illegal. The stubborn ox was like this every dawn, not resting or leaving the barn until each and every animal was up and active, be it showered and dressed, or sitting up in their bed of hay, shaking off the last cobwebs of slumber. This is what Ouma decided to this this particular morning, as he yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, his round ears twitching this way and that.

The barn soon came to life, as their daily routines started. One on side of the barn, the ox dragged the snake out of bed, much to Harukawa’s distaste, as she kept asking if he had a death wish. The rabbit sleepily greeted the rooster, Saihara responding back to Akamatsu with a slight blush on his face that made Ouma roll his eyes. Soon, he heard the monkey join the sheep, Angie and Yumeno praising the emperor for their perfect life, the shine bell chiming over and over and over and-

“Oh my god, shut up you damn cultists!”

There was the cat. Iruma had stood up from her bed near Ouma’s and slammed her hands down on the barn window frame, screaming at Angie and Himiko for their insistent bell ringing. The two girls just giggled and offered to let the cat join them, causing Iruma’s tail to puff out, lashing irritably.

Tojo stepped down from the loft, crossing her hands in front of her stomach, a stern look on her face. Even though it seemed Iruma screamed at the sheep and the monkey daily, Tojo had never gotten quite used to the rudeness of the cat.

“Allow them to praise the Emperor. He is the reason we have such a peaceful life after all,” the boar calmly scolded, much to Iruma’s distaste. However, the cat was smart enough to realize arguing with Tojo never went anywhere in her favor, so with that she spun on her heel and stalked off, exiting the barn with a huff.

Ouma grinned, taking joy in seeing the cat so irritated, even if it wasn’t his doing. He’d never exactly call Iruma his friend; no, they were more rivals at arms. Day in and day out, they’d prank one another, be it leaving crickets in the rat’s bed or pouring water on the cat’s tail during the cold winter nights, only to have her wake up to it covered in frost. Ouma didn’t hate Iruma. It was quite the opposite. He admired her tenacity and smarts, but would he ever admit to that? Of course not.

Rising from his nest, Ouma stretched his arms above his head, his tail rigid behind him as he unwound from being curled up all night. It had been especially cold as of late, the nights becoming nearly unbearable. No wonder some of the other animals had pushed their bedding together as to conserve body heat as they slept. He’d snickered as he asked the rooster how he felt about the rabbit and the horse cuddling as they slept, making sure to drive home the point that Akamatsu was wrapped in Amami’s arms “alllll night”. Saihara had only replied that what happened between Akamatsu and Amami was their business, and that he had nothing to do with the matter, regardless of how much his face showed he was bluffing. Ah, poor Saihara. Didn’t he know better not to lie to the king?

Speaking of Saihara, it seemed the rooster was awkwardly trying to exit the barn. However, the door was blocked by a certain horse and tiger discussing whatever it is horses and tigers discuss. It was probably lame. Regardless, there was a very stuck Saihara, awkwardly dancing between Amami and Shirogane, little ‘excuse me’s that were clearly being ignored. Oh poor, helpless Saihara.

Stepping up to the plate, Ouma cleared this throat. “Alright, alright move along. I’ve got things to do and you’re preventing me from doing them.” He shooed the others away with his hands, before placing them behind his head and giving Saihara a large grin. Awkwardly dipping his head at the rat, the blue haired rooster, scrambled out of the barn, fleeing to god knows where, not that Ouma cared.

The purple rat stepped out into the yard, the soft breeze tossing his jester-like hair this way and that. There he noticed the distinct waving flag of the mailbox, which no doubt would contain a letter from the Emperor. This was their only means of communication unless the Emperor took it upon himself to visit the farm, but those occurrences were few and far between. Skipping over to the box, he pulled down the wooden door and slipped out 1...2….13 envelopes, all sealed with the seal of the Jade Palace. Flipping through them, Ouma found the one addressed to him, his full name written in the smoothest calligraphy, the leg of his first ‘K’ underlining the rest of his letters, all the way to the final ‘A’. Ouma had to admit, Emperor Shinguji was as fancy as usual.

Setting the others back into the box, he used his tail to break the wax seal, sliding the long appendage under the flap of the envelope. Inside was a letter...no...an invitation?

_My dearest Ouma,  
_

_It is my pleasure to invite you on the night of the full moon to attend to a grand ball being held at the palace. I fear it has been too long since I have checked in personally on my dear animals, and from such wish to correct my error._

_Fear not, dear rat, there will be ample refreshments tailored to your liking, a grand feast for my precious subjects. Please arrive in your finest linens and most importantly, enjoy yourself._

_Yours,  
Jade Emperor Shinguji_

So, the stuffy old emperor was inviting them to his palace? It was about damn time. In all the years Ouma had lived in his realm, he’d never set foot in the palace. No, instead he was forced to live on this dumb farm with all these other nutjobs that he was unwillingly made to share his air with. Sliding his invitation back into its envelope, the rat tucked it away in his inner coat pocket, before checking the other letters. Yes, it seemed there was 12 others, one for each of the animals.

This is when Ouma made the decision to play a prank on Iruma. Along with his invitation, he snagged the cat’s envelope, stashing it away inside his coat. She would never be the wiser until the day of the party, where she would have no time to prepare. It was perfect. Now, all he had to do was pass out these remaining ones, making sure to keep it a secret from Iruma, knowing he would in fact be dead meat if she learned of his plot early.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

The first letter was addressed to the dog. Ouma hunted around for Gonta, figuring that oaf would be somewhere around the river, wading around in it even though the waters were sure to be icy cold. Sure enough, the tall canine was there, tail wagging and floppy ears tossing as he plodded around in the water, sending tiny fish fluttering this way and that.

“You know, you’re going to step on them if you keep stomping around like that,” the rat pointed out, gesturing to the flurries of tiny fish. “Unless you want to squish them. Then I’ve be delighted to help you!” He finished off his offer with a laugh, his nishishi~ ringing through the area.

Gonta, on the other hand, looked horrified, as if it never occurred to him he could actually kill the small swimmers if he stepped on them. “No! Gonta would never kill fish. Gonta is a gentledog!”

“Yeah, yeah. Get out of there. I have to give you something and you’re wasting my time.” Ouma flipped through the envelopes and found the one addressed to Gonta. Sliding it out of the stack, he held it out to the dog, who waded out of the water and gently took it from the rat.

“A letter for Gonta from Emperor? Oh, Gonta is much delighted! Thank you, Ouma-kun!” With that, Gonta sat on a nearby rock and opened his invitation. Ouma didn’t stick around to watch him struggle to read it.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“And what honor do we owe the pleasure of being visited by the rat?” Amami joked, raising an eyebrow at Ouma. The horse, rabbit, and rooster were all lazing around under the cover of the woods, perched on the picnic table the Emperor had left for them.

Ouma fake sniffled, his crocodile tears quickly forming and running down his cheeks. “Am I not able to see my darling friends, Amami-chan? I’m hurt.”

Amami looked back blankly, very much unamused. He turned to Akamatsu, the rabbit shrugging back at him, before addressing Ouma once more. “Alright, what is it?”

Perking back up, Ouma pulled out the envelopes, passing out the invitations to their respective owners. The trio opened theirs in unison, the rabbit’s ears perking up in delight.

“Ah! A party! That’s really kind of him. We’ll all be together and dressed all fancy. I’m looking forward to this. I hope we can all share a dance!”

Saihara nodded with a smile on his face, his comb bobbing with his head movements. Amami’s ears twitched, a smirk on his face. Oh, how easy it would be to mess with the three of them right now. However, Ouma had bigger fish to fry, metaphorically. He was a vegetarian after all. Waving to the horse and rabbit, and seductively teasing the rooster, much to Saihara’s dismay, the small rat made his way to his next victi-

Friends. His next friends.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“Nyehehe! The Emperor smiles upon us!” Angie held her hands together in delight as she finished reading her invitation. She rocked her head back and forth, her curly horns nearly whacking Yumeno in the side of the head. Thankfully, the little monkey was able to keep Angie at bay by pushing her head gently with the tip of her tail.

“Nyeeeeh, don’t hit me again!”

“My apologies Himiko! I am just so delighted that our handsome Emperor is inviting us to his palace! I knew my prayers would be answered soon!”

Ouma watched the two bicker, as Angie tried to hold Yumeno closer, the monkey slightly fighting back, but not really trying to break from the sheep’s grasp. This seemed to catch the attention of Momota and Harukawa, the snake being increasingly more fed up with the Ox’s boisterous behavior.

“What’ssss going on over here?” Harukawa asked, her eyes flitting between the three animals.

“Just telling Himiko-chan how much I looooove her!” Ouma chimed, his voice full of laughter.

The monkey wasn’t amused. She looked slightly to the side, her tail drooping, a pale blush on her face. “Stop it.”

Harukawa shook her head and Momota frowned, raising his fist. “Worry not, I’ll protect you.”

“You stop it too.”

With that, Ouma handed out the snake and ox’s invitations, watching the two break the seal and skim over the notes. Momota’s grin split his face, while Harukawa’s was much subtler, her thin forked tongue flicking out of her mouth in delight.

“We’ve got to go together to, Harumaki.” Momota boldly proposed, causing Harukawa to roll her eyes.

“If you wanted to assssk me, you could have done sssso in private. But fine, I’ll go with you.” Although she tried to pass off being annoyed, it was clear she was quite pleased with the idea.

After a few moments of poking fun at the two, Ouma headed off to deliver the last of his letters.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

There were 4 left, 3 of which he had to hand out. These belonged to the boar, tiger, and dragon, strategically leaving out the cat. Tracking down the tiger and boar was simple; Shirogane and Tojo were often washing and repairing the clothes that the others wore down. Today was no exception, as the two girls were found behind the barn, Shirogane holding a pair of Momota’s pants, a sewing needle in hand, and Tojo elbow deep in a wash basin.

Not wanting to waste valuable daylight hours, the tiger took both hers and Tojo’s invitations, reading the small paper aloud. Delighted, both girls were left chit-chatting about what they would wear, deciding they would need to make all new gowns before the event. Ouma didn’t care. He had a bigger task at hand.

This meant he had to find the dragon apart from the cat. Those two were almost inseparable and Ouma was certain Iruma wanted to see if cat-dragon hybrid children were possible. How lewd. After hours of tracking the two, he finally saw a break in their companionship, Iruma deciding it was time for her to take a cat nap before dinner. Approaching Kiibo, Ouma thrust the note into the dragon’s hand, looking slightly disgusted.

“Don’t ever say I don’t do anything for you.” Ouma rolled his eyes, obviously waiting for some backtalk from the dragon.

Kiibo, looked at the note, not opening it, before he looked up at Ouma. “What do you mean?”

“I mean you should be thankful I’m even talking to a dragon like you. It’s not like you’re a normal animal or anything. You’re just an outcast!” Ouma teased, sounding a little too chipper in the process. This was sure to irritate Kiibo.

“That’s dracophobic. How many times do I have to tell you, I may not be an average animal, but I’m just like you.” Kiibo held his hands up, rolling his eyes. He finally broke open his seal and read the paper, taking in each word written. He smiled and looked back up.

“I must ask Iruma-san to accompany me!” As he was about to bolt off, Ouma grabbed on to his tail, locking him in place. He knew this was a poor idea.

“You can’t!” Ouma started spinning his lie, coming up with something he could hopefully get away with. “I’ve already asked her. You wouldn’t want to embarrass yourself, would you?”

Kiibo quizzically stared at the rat, pulling his tail free and toying nervously with a whisker. “You have? I didn’t think you two were friends…”

“Whatever do you mean Kiiboy? I’m in love with Iruma-san. Why else do you think I prank her so much? I just can’t help but crave her attention,” Ouma replied, his voice matter of fact. Kiibo seemed to think this over a few times, a large pause settling between the two. Finally, the dragon looked down, disappointed.

“I understand. Then, I will not mention it to her.” With that, he walked back towards the barn, leaving Ouma by himself.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

  


** _Cat_ **

The days rolled on lazily, the farm the same old same old. However, Iruma would be lying if she hadn’t noticed the added spring in the rabbit’s step, or the way the horse seemed to care just a tad too much about keeping his nails intact and clear of dirt. It was probably the weather, Iruma decided, as the climate had been comfortable and cozy through the week. This was always wonderful news for the cat; more sun meant more naps in the loft of the barn, under the ‘skylight’, which was really just a hole in the roof that the ox had yet to repair (even though he caused it). Regardless, Iruma enjoyed nothing more than curling up on the torn burlap stored upstairs, bathed in the warm light of the sun.

Well, maybe not _nothing_ more. It would be nice if Kiibo joined her.

Speaking of Kiibo, he seemed to be spending more and more time with the rat, Ouma pulling Kiibo away from Iruma now and then to speak in hushed whispers, low enough that not even her perfect ears could pick their words up. Eh, whatever. It didn’t have anything to do with her, so why should she care? Now that she thought about it, Ouma seemed more interested in the cat as well, outside of pranks, occasionally stopping her just to ask stupid questions.

As the month carried on, the full moon came closer and closer, the farm growing restless. Tojo and Shirogane spent their daylight hours, dawn to dusk, weaving cloth and hand sewing what seemed like dresses. Harukawa and Momota were increasingly more nervous around one another, the snake and ox stealing small glances at one another, only to blush a beet red before averting their eyes to the floor. Gonta was more often seeking out advice on how to be the perfect gentleman, usually from Amami or Saihara, the dog excitedly wagging his tail as the horse and rooster attempted to teach the clumsy man the proper way to bow. The monkey and sheep were...surprisingly normal, now that Iruma thought about it. Those two were too far gone to be considered anything but eccentric on an average day. Otherwise, the tension of the air was as thick as molasses, sickly sweet and slow moving.

However, nice weather soon turned gloomy, as the days leading up to the full moon were bleak, storm clouds heavy with the threat of rain blotting out the sun and plunging the realm into darker days. Despite the crappy weather, Iruma noticed that the others were still pretty worked up, often talking in low voices and sneaking sidelong glances at their objects of affection. Yes, this is directly referring to the disgusting way the rabbit stared at the horse, Akamatsu’s eyes nearly filled with hearts, as poor Saihara listened on to her rambling.

With a snort, Iruma dipped out of the barn and into the farmyard, taking in the sweet scent of rain on the way. Though she enjoyed a lazy, sun filled day, she had to admit, the lead up to a storm was relaxing in its own way, what with the world dimmed and the wind carrying promises of a greener tomorrow.

Making her way to the edge of the woods, Iruma saw just who she wished to speak to, eating lunch at the wooden picnic table, tucked away under the trees. Plopping down next to Kiibo, she plucked a piece of takoyaki from the dragon’s paper holster, plopping it into her mouth. With an amused hum, Kiibo, softly smiled at the cat, his eyes filled with playful amusement.

“Good afternoon, Iruma-san.”

“Afternoon? Coulda fooled me.” With this, Iruma gestured to the dark farm, the shadows of the clouds creating the illusion of dusk. His voice ringing out with a small laugh, Kiibo stuck another octopus ball into his mouth, his whiskers twitching in amusement. Carefully, Kiibo leaned closer to Iruma, closing the gap between the two so that their shoulders were pushed flush against one another. The blonde turned to look at the boy, noticing the pale pink brushed over his cheeks, the blush no doubt being the cutest thing she’d ever seen.

Kiibo coughed once, clearing his throat before asking, “Is this alright with you?”

Quietly, she nodded, trying to cover her embarrassment with takoyaki, stealing yet another savory morsel and devouring it obnoxiously. They sat like this, shoulder to shoulder, long past the food had ran out and the sky had grown darker, the rumbling sound of thunder in the distance mingling with the swaying of the leaves, as agitated by the wind.

With a nervous twinge in his voice, Kiibo spoke. “How are things between you and Ouma?”

She and Ouma? What did that stupid rat have to do with anything? “Cock-itchy? Iunno. The usual?”

“Then I suppose that is a sign for good things to flourish. I am proud of the both of you.” Kiibo’s voice betrayed...jealousy perhaps? What was this dumb dragon on about?

“Kiibo, the fuck are you talk-”

“We should be heading back soon. I’d hate for us to be caught in the storm.” With that, Kiibo rose, dusting loose leaves off his pants. The dragon offered his hand to the cat, which she gratefully took, albeit confused as his sudden interruption, using it as a guide off the table. With a cute smile, Kiibo squeezed her hand, holding it for a moment longer, before releasing and leading the two to the barn. Iruma didn’t want to admit it, but that moment, that simple holding of her hand, flustered her beyond belief. It wasn’t like Kiibo had ever actually held her hand before, so that hopeful.

As the duo entered the barn, Iruma was met with the animals rushing around, ball gowns swaying, and tuxedos hastily being adjusted. With a small curse, Kiibo zoomed over to his bed and pulled out his own formal wear from his trunk, hastily starting to change into the three-piece suit. Eyebrows furrowed, Iruma pulled aside a panicked Akamatsu.

“What’s going on?”

With a flushed face, Akamatsu looked Iruma up and down before sputtering, “You can’t attend the ball in that! Go put on your dress!” With that, the rabbit dove back into the fray, her long ears pulled flat against her head. Ball? Dress?

What?

The only relaxed (well, semi-relaxed) people in the barn were the snake and the horse. Not wanting to speak to Harukawa, Iruma made her way over to Amami, who was combing his pale green hair to the side, humming contentedly at his own reflection. With a grunt, Iruma caught his attention, earning a little hand up in greeting from the male.

“Evening Iruma. Are you not ready yet?”

“Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m here to ask you about.” With a huff, the cat lashed her tail irritably. “What are we getting ready for?”

Frowning, Amami slipped his comb into his slacks and half-sat against a bale of hay. “The Jade Ball? It’s the full moon tonight, after all.”

There was that damn ball being mentioned again. “Yeah, I have no fuckin’ clue what you’re talking about.”

With ease, Amami slipped an envelope out of his inner breast pocket and held it out to Iruma. Impatiently, she pulled out the slip of paper and poured over it. Party…each of the animals invited...food…what? “I’ve literally never seen this before.”

Knitting his brows together, Amami soon came to a realization. “Ouma handed them out.”

“Tch. That little shit head.” Thrusting the letter back at the horse, Iruma’s tail puffed out. Of course, that rat had her letter. This would be just like him to play a “prank” on her, in a moment as important as this.

In a flurry of rage, the cat poured over the building, until she found _him_ , nonchalantly picking at his teeth in the reflection of a window. With a hiss, she caught his attention, his little rat eyes opening wide in surprise, before his run of the mill Ouma-smirk overtook his features. Oh boy, did Iruma have some words planned for this twerp.

“Evening Iruma-chan! Aren’t you going to get ready for the paaaaarty?” Oh man, did that piss off Iruma further.

However, there was no time scream at the rat. With a chime of bells, a carriage out front of the barn arrived, and one by one the others lined up to take their seat. Hurtling over the haphazardly strewn sacks of food and hay, Ouma bolted out of the barn and straight to the front of the line, cutting in front of the ox and securing his place as first to enter. Grumbling, the strawberry blonde joined the others, last in line behind Tojo. As the line grew shorter, Iruma hatched her plan. Once inside, she'd smush herself between Momota and Ouma, allowing for no escape route on the crowded carriage. This meant she would be free to chastise the rat all she wanted. Unfortunately, this plan was soon thwarted by the footman rejecting her entrance.

“The hell do you mean I can’t get on, shrimp?”

The small footman shrugged before jabbing a thumb in the opposite direction of the carriage door. With his free hand, he slammed the gilded door shut and adjusted his horned cap, answering the cat in a gravelly voice. “I’m not going to let someone who looks like crap into the palace. Go get changed or don’t come at all.”

Beating on the door with a gloved fist, Iruma angrily called out to Shirogane and Tojo. “Hey! Where the fuck’s my gown?”

Sweeping away the velvet curtain and poking her head out of the small curtain, Shirogane’s glassed face met her acquaintance. “I apologize Iruma but...Ouma told us you weren't interested in coming to the party, so we didn’t make you a gown.”

By this point, Iruma’s blood was rushing in her ears from anger, the little points twitching this way and that. With a chuckle, the footman pulled himself into the front seat and shot her a grave look. “Well, that settles that.” After a crack of the reigns, the carriage started forward and whisked away the 12 other animals. Returning to the dimness of the barn, the cat flopped herself on her bed in a huff, her anger for the rat at its peak. Blood boiling, she threw her hands up, her fingers brushing against a folded piece of paper. Grasping it, the cat pulled it in front of her face, investigating the calligraphy that was her name, before breaking the seal. Even in the dimmed light of the barn, she was able to make out the words written, and soon realized that Ouma had to have left it there. It _was_ her invitation after all.

With newfound resolve, Iruma pushed to her feet and started her long run to the Jade Emperors dwelling, beyond the safe familiarity of the farm. Stepping into the storm, which had begun its downpour, Iruma dashed to the palace, wading in mid-calf pools of muddied water, her blonde hair plastered to her face. Time after time, the rushing wind threw branches, rocks, leaves, you name it, into her face, scraping and bruising her pale skin. It’s okay, she reassured herself. Ouma would be getting much worse by her own hands. Coming to the bridge, allowing access over the river, Iruma noticed the thick swell of the water overflowing its banks. Unbenounced to her, the bridge had needed repairs for some time now. As she stepped in the middle of the rickety frame, the wood underfoot gave through, sending her plummeting through, gashing open her shin in the process. Face to face with the rushing water, the cat wrenched her leg free, worsening the cut, and crawled over the remainder of the bridge, fearing for her life if she was to take a tumble into the current.

Now more of a hobble than a sprint, she continued, trying her best to keep her resolve and composure. Weighed down by her grief and pain, Iruma’s footsteps were heavy, each individual feeling like a new trek up Mt. Fuji. By the time she arrived at the palace, she was disgusting, brown from dirt and soaking wet with rain. Grimacing, she attempted to wring out her clothing, but honestly, what was the point? She wasn’t going to be dry anytime soon.

Steeling herself, Iruma pulled open the heavy doors to the Jade palace, only to be met with the other animals having a grand time. The monkey and the rooster, all smiles, spun together on the dancefloor, while the boar and the sheep picked carefully at the offered refreshments. Much to the dismay of the doorman, a taller woman with green, circle tied hair, Iruma stepped into the room. The pianist stopped, the music coming to a halt, as all eyes were on the mess of a cat, drenched and dripping onto the plush red carpet.

Iruma’s legs shook as her eyes tore over the other animals, prim and proper in their party attire, from the ox in his kimono, to the sheep with her horn tassels. With sorry eyes, she looked at her own clothing, tattered and muddied from her mad dash to the manor. Vaguely, she was aware of her gloves, the black fabric newly wet with...were those tears? Raising a hand to her face, the wet streaks stained her face as she silently wept, her eyes makeshift fountains, bubbling over and flowing past the surface.

The cat was vaguely aware of the dragon stepping forward to comfort her, only to watch out of the corner of her eye as Momota placed a hand on Kiibo’s shoulder, shaking his head gently. Instead, she was met with the rat, a familiar glint in his eyes, the usual hand behind head stance the most irritating thing she’d ever had the displeasure of witnessing.

“Aw, Iruma-chan, there’s no reason to cry. It’s a prank! You’re supposed to laugh like you always do!”

Laugh? Ouma honestly expected her to find humor in this situation? As Iruma stared in disbelief, Ouma stepped forward and placed his hand on her shoulder. Before she could think of her actions, his hand was slapped away, the smack of skin against skin ringing out across the dining hall. The grin slipped off Ouma’s face, leaving his expression rather dark as opposed to his normally bright, starry eyed self.

“So, that’s how it is?” His voice was soft, but without signs of remorse. Iruma wanted to kick, scream, perhaps even punch out Ouma’s lights, not caring if she scared the others or was booted from the mansion. It didn’t matter anymore; she didn’t matter anymore. The silk woven calendar displayed on the grand foyer wall proved that, twelve animals dancing around the sun, the tapestry completely devoid of the cat.

“All…,” she started, her sobs slowly gaining traction on her vocal cords, pulling her cries from silent to barely audible. “You were all in on this.”

Kiibo stepped forward and shook his head profusely, his whiskers swaying recklessly left to right. “I wanted to accompany you tonight, Iruma-san. I truly did. But-”

“But fucking what, Kiibo?” The cat surprised herself with just the sheer amount of malice dripping from her voice.

Shuffling his feet awkwardly, Kiibo looked away from the girl and down at his feet, nervously picking at his cuticles. “Ouma said he was taking you. And you’ve...been spending so much time with him lately that I thought you were together.”

Iruma’s tears continued to roll, fat and heavy down her face, dropping off her skin and plummeting into the floor, if not her shirt, where it mingled with the sky’s residue. “And you believed him? I’ve told you that you’re my one and only, and this is how you repay me?”

“Aww, Iruma.” Ouma’s giggle was disgusting, “Don’t be so harsh on Kiiboy. He was just listening to me after all…”

Kiibo’s pleading overtook Ouma’s smug words once more. “Iruma-san, please-”

“…Because you’re my date!”

His date? To where, hell? Stepping forward, she gripped Ouma’s collar and harshly pulled him nose to nose. With a small clatter, his top button popped off and fell to the floor, earning a false frown from Ouma.

“You ruined my shirt that Shirogane so lovingly made for me! I can’t believe you, Iruma! And after you agreed to be my date, after all!” The rat’s eyes glinted in mischief, that was quickly washed away as the cat spat in his face.

“I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to hear any excuses from a single fucking one of you.” The cat raked her gaze over the crowd once more, ignoring Gonta’s cries and Harukawa’s irritated hissing. Their eyes showed pity, but did that matter at all? Of course not. Throwing Ouma back towards the others, the purple haired boy, adjusted his suit once more, before dropping his face into an amused smirk.

“Well, you best be out of here. You’re getting your nasty blood all over the flooring.”

He was right, unfortunately. Before she could step forward to shut him up with her first, the doorman had blocked her path. “Miss, I would hate to do so, but I can detain you with Neo-Aikido if you do not leave the premises.”

Biting the inside of her cheek once more, Iruma slumped over. Was there a point in being here any further? With a heavy heart, she moved to the grand entrance, holding the door handle under her gloved hand once more, perhaps for the last time. “Each and every one of you betrayed me. Never speak to me again, especially you, Kiibo.”

The ox stepped forward, stammering something about forgiveness and misunderstanding. Quickly, the rabbit and the dog joined in, Momota, Akamatsu, and Gonta’s voices ringing out around the palace foyer, their pleads causing Iruma’s stomach to churn sickeningly. Hands shaking, the blonde wheeled around and screamed decisive words of hatred before gripping the handle firmly, this time with added conviction.

With great strength, she threw open the door once more, a strong gust of wind whipping her in the face and sending her hair wildly this way and that. Ears flat, she crossed the threshold and released the door, vaguely aware of the lack of it closing behind her. Glancing back, her eyes met Ouma’s, the rat standing in the doorway and preventing her being cut off from the rest of the crowd. The blank face he had broke her back. Iruma sprinted away as best as she could from the Jade Palace, her tears mixing with the rain, the drops stinging her face as she dashed into the wind’s trajectory.

“I said _wait_!” Kiibo’s voice called out over the storm, as the dragon charged out of the ball, sullying his own suit. With strong hands, he gripped her wrist, pulling her back against him.

“I don’t want to hear it!” Iruma struggled against his firm hold, not wanting anything to do with the stupid, stupid dragon in this moment.

A slow whistle from Ouma pulled her attention back to the slimy rat, her eyes painfully salty and blurry. He was...smiling, wasn’t he?

“You really should let her go, Kiibo. Don’t you understand? She hates you now!” Ouma’s cruel laugh echoed in the courtyard, mingling with the patter of the rain as it spiraled down. With Kiibo being distracted, Iruma shoved the boy back, watching as the dragon fell on to his rear. Through her clouded vision, it was easy to see the hurt on Kiibo’s face, reflecting her own betrayal.

“That can’t be true, right?” Kiibo’s voice was frail, like a porcelain doll about to topple to the floor with the slightest breath. Instead of an answer, the cat turned took off, new adrenaline letting her ignore the throbbing pain in her leg.

Nothing mattered.

She threw open the doors to the barn, welcoming the shelter from the prickly rain.

_Nothing ever mattered._

Piece by piece, her little clothing was thrown recklessly into a burlap back, riddled with small holes.

_Not a single damn thing you ever did here mattered._

She scattered Ouma’s bed, throwing his hay chaotically across the barn, wanting nothing more than the rat to sleep cold that night.

_You never mattered._

Bag thrown over her shoulders, Iruma stepped back out into the rain, a shivering mess, whether it be from the cold or from her emotions. With a definitive slam, Iruma threw the barn door shut and made her way across the property.

There was the bench at the end of the woods, where Kiibo held her hand for the first time.

There was the stream, where Shirogane helped her catch smaller fish to use as bait.

There was the shrine bell, where Yonaga and Yumeno drew her in for tai-chi on the occasional morning.

There was the pit, where they’d sung together countless times as they roasted marshmallows and nuts next to the fire.

And there was the fence, where Iruma exited for the final time.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

_My dear animals,_

_The sudden disappearance of Iruma has been noted. As the keeper of the land, I will have it seen to that ample resources be spend on tracking down the cat and bringing her home. However, if she fails to be found, it is merely due to her stealth. You cannot find someone who wishes not to be found._

_I apologize that the events of the evening turned so distinctly sour. I see this as a personal failure, as if I had delivered the letters in person rather than leaving them in the farm mailbox, we would not be having this letter written._

_ust like the rest of you, Iruma is one of my precious animals. I will do all in my power to ensure nothing of this caliber ever takes place again. We must learn from our actions that took place yesterday evening. Occasionally, our stories do not end well, but rather come to a close with heartbreak and broken trust. This is an unfortunate fact of life and one of the many reasons humanity is beautiful and bittersweet. I do not think Iruma is gone forever, however that is her tally to vote with. All we can do now is hope and pray for her safe return._

_Yours,  
Jade Emperor Shinguji_


End file.
